Civil Engineering

 

Overview

Civil Engineers are in charge of designing, building, and maintaining infrastructure. Specific work includes roads, bridges, buildings, dams, water levies, and canals. Specific topics within Civil Engineering often include environmental engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, earth science, materials engineering, construction engineering, and forensic engineering among others.

Environmental Engineering. Environmental engineering deals with topics important to the environment such as water purification, waste treatment, pollution containment, and pollutant transport. Other topics that may be studied by Environmental Engineering includes topics related to the consequences of various actions on the environment and the influence of humans and thier actions on the natural environment. Environmental Engineers not only design processes but also help advise policy makers on the consequences of human activity.

Structural Engineering. Structural Engineering relates to the construction of structures such as bridges, buildings, tunnels, and dams. Structural Engineers may come from a core discipline of either Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering. Though many of the principles are the same, Civil Engineers tend to focus on the design of infrastructure while Mechanical Engineers will often focus on the structural design of large or small machines, equipment, or automobiles.

Transportation Engineering. Transportation Engineers focus on the movement of people and goods. This means that a Civil Engineers practicing in the field of Transportation Engineering might work on projects related to street design and maintenance, rail systems, traffic flow, airports, and ports.

Earth Sciences. Earth Sciences may include any of the topics of geology, geophysics, soil science, oceanography, or atmospheric sciences. Within Civil Engineering this field could include earthquake engineering, wind engineering, coastal engineering, or surveying.

Materials Engineering. Much like Mechanical Engineers, Civil Engineers are interested in the characteristics and performance of the materials they use regularly. Civil engineers working in Materials Engineering are often interested in the performance of structural steels, ceramics including concretes and asphalts, and coatings such as paints and finishes.

Construction Engineering. Construction engineering focuses on all aspects of the design and execution of a construction project. Special expertise in this area may include structural engineers, environmental engineers, geotechnical engineers. Construction Engineers often more often involved in the management side of the business than other traditional areas of engineering.

Forensic Engineering. Like the other disciplines in Engineering, Civil Engineers may be needed in the field of Forensics whenever structures or systems fail or do not operate properly. Civil engineers are used frequently in disputes involving structural damage assessment, water intrusion issues, wind damage, pollutants, construction defects, foundation problems.

 

Our Role

RWFE and its associates have assisted in many different aspects of construction and related projects over years. Since Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering often share some overlap in application. Contact RWFE to discuss your project with one of our associates regarding our ability to address your needs. If we can not provide the particular service your are needing, we will provide you with names of other professionals who can.